Review: Humorless and Ingratiating, Vacation Friends is a Comedic Dud
In the same way I’ll ding a horror film for not being scary, I’ll eagerly discuss the existence of comedies that rarely make me laugh. Welcome to the feature film […]
Steve Prokopy is chief film critic for the Chicago-based arts outlet Third Coast Review. For nearly 20 years, he was the Chicago editor for Ain’t It Cool News, where he contributed film reviews and filmmaker/actor interviews under the name “Capone.” Currently, he’s a frequent contributor at /Film (SlashFilm.com) and Backstory Magazine. He is also the public relations director for Chicago's independently owned Music Box Theatre, and holds the position of Vice President for the Chicago Film Critics Association. In addition, he is a programmer for the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which has been one of the city's most anticipated festivals since 2013.
Review: No Man of God Puts a Serial Killer and a Scientist in the Same Room, to Fascinating Results
At this point, the only reason to dive into the world of Ted Bundy again would be if a filmmaker had discovered a more interesting way of tackling the subject […]
Review: At Times Dark and Grotesque, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman Seeks to Give Meaning to the Classic Horror Myth
One of the reasons this combination remake/sequel/reboot of the gets-better-with-age 1992 film Candyman is tough to discuss is because it’s a film that can’t quite decide what it is or […]
Review: Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed Chronicles How a Soft-Spoken Painter Became a Household Name
From Joshua Rofé (Lost for Life), the same director who brought us the four-part docu-series Lorena (executive produced by Jordan Peele, no less), about famed penis-slicer Lorena Bobbitt, comes Bob […]
Review: Intimate and Tender, Confetti Chronicles a Mother’s Journey to Give Her Daughter a Bright Future
Based on the actual story of writer/director Ann Hu (Shadow Magic), Confetti centers on a Chinese mother named Lan (Zhu Zhu), who discovers that her 9-year-old daughter Meimei (Harmonie He) […]
Review: Chicago-made Unapologetic Follows Two Black Queer Activists Calling for Accountability, Change for Their Communities
Although shot a few years ago, the issues discussed in director Ashley O’Shay’s debut powerful and no-bullshit feature Unapologetic are disturbingly current. She profiles two uncompromising Black millennial organizers in […]
Review: Featuring Real-life Father Daughter Sean and Dylan Penn, Flag Day Explores Family Dynamics and Overcoming Traumas
Based on the real-life story of journalist Jennifer Vogel, Flag Day offers a volatile father-daughter tale that is as much about the way we love certain family members unconditionally as […]
Review: A Good—Not Great—Action Movie, The Protégé Fills a Summer Blockbuster Gap
More often than not with the new Maggie Q-starring action film The Protégé, you can see what the filmmakers are going for even if sometimes they don’t quite get there. […]
Review: The Night House Is an Atmospheric, Layered Thriller About Grief and the After life
Seemingly once or twice a month lately, a film is released that originally debuted at Sundance 2020 (Nine Days was the last one, I believe), and it’s actually been strangely […]
Review: Film Noir Reminiscence Creates a Fascinating World Populated by Inert Performances
Visually compelling and front-loaded with an attractive cast, the science-fiction film Reminiscence has the added bonus of being a deeply layered film with noir story and dialogue. In it, Hugh […]
Interview: The Protégé‘s Maggie Q on Action Films with Great Scripts, Doing Her Own Stunts and “Pivoting”
Actress and model Maggie Q has a long and varied career in both her native United States (she was born in Hawaii) and in a variety of Asian locations, most […]
Interview: Chicagoan Jake Johnson on Making Ride the Eagle During the Pandemic, Without Making it Feel Like the Pandemic
One of my favorite Chicagoans is actor, writer and overall truly nice guy Jake Johnson, who I first met in 2009 with the release of the indie hit Paper Heart, […]